August 05, 2010

Benchwork

Here's an oldie but a goodie. It's one of my favorite makeovers from my column Weekend Shopper at House Beautiful, for which I traveled to flea markets around the country, giving new life to old things.

This trip took Brendan and me to Renniger's in Mt. Dora, Florida, northwest of Orlando, where I encountered a piece that had wandered far from home.

It was an outdoor wooden bench, bearing the mark of an Eastport, Long Island department store. I loved how the seats were all connected, but each folded and functioned separately. On closer look, I noticed that some of the seats were warped and the veneer was cracked in spots, but the piece itself was sturdy. And at $45, I couldn't pass it up!

After distressing the wood with steel wool, I primed and painted the bench with a creamy semigloss spray paint. If you're trying something similar yourself, don't worry about scuffs and scratches. Just touch it up! Then, to soften the piece, I had new seat cushions and backs made by an upholsterer from ¼-inch plywood and a fresh ticking stripe from Zimmer + Rohde.

A little Velcro to attach makes clean-up a snap, especially in high-traffic areas like a mudroom. Oh and by the way, how cute is blogger Lisa McGee's daughter pulling on her Wellies? Lisa and I used to work together at House Beautiful back in the day, and her daughter Sophia made the perfect model for the shoot!

Flea markets are full of hidden treasures like these. Just keep an open mind, and you never know what you'll find!

How fun to see my daughter in this photo shoot so many years ago - we have a whole selection of images from that shoot hung up our stairs here in Ireland.
Was so fun working with you on that Eddie! Hope all is well you are looking very busy!

Eddie, you Rock my friend.... Everytime i visit your site , there is something amazing you have done. . Very good job this bench.You took a old worn piece and you gave it life and a new meaning.LOVE the stripes.You are a mastermind and you give me ideas for my house.Keep up the good work ..

This bench turned out sooo cute! We've been hitting that same great Mount Dora Flea Market for the last several years, each January for their extravaganza! Wow, at the goodies!!This week we've been shopping the World's Longest Yard Sale the past two days in Tennessee. That's hard work,hehe!!
Thanks for stopping by my blog!!What a nice surprise!
Carol in GA

Ooh, love the bench makeover with the striped fabric! As luck would have it, I'm headed to the Worlds Longest Yard Sale. I will add this to the ridiculously long list and probably come back with something completely different! haha - that's how we roll!

E & J, This bench is wonderful and what a fun piece for a mudroom. I love your vision, you are so inspiring. I am going Goodwill Hunting tomorrow with a friend, she has never been, should be fun!!! I found a few pieces last week that are really pretty cool. I hope to post on them pretty soon on my blog!! Keep the inspiration coming I need some Eddie's Motivation!!!! Hugs Kathysue

PS thank you guys for your sweet visits and comments. It just thrills me when you come by, xoxo

trust you to see potential, to claim total chic-ness on a forgotten bench! if i were you, i'd fly myself and jaithan to run a DIY makeover camp with some Aussies in the Blue Mountains, where i reside. ;)

We are blessed to have you Eddie. You always inspire me!
Is Debra (5th & State) with you and Jaithan still? Her mailbox is full and I can't get hold of her. She told me she was going to one of your events..
xCharlotta

Well done! It's all fabulous - bench, model (and the wire baskets under are perfect touch). Just love Mt. Dora but haven't been to Rennigar's (gasp!). It's moved further up my "to-do" list now. Thank you!

Ok, so Round Top is around the corner. Shouldn't you & Jaithan TRY coming?? I bet we could score such a bench. But if so, since I'm an hour from Round Top, uuhhhh....it'd come home with me. :) Eddie - this is FANTASTIC!!!!

I couldn't help but think of this upcoming weekend's gizillion mile yard sale when I saw your post about this great bench. Keeping an open mind is half of the fun. You never know what you may discover! Are you and Jaithan hitting the road for the big sale? I suspect that I'll explore the souther portion! Have an amazing, treasure filled weekend!

In all honesty I don’t think I would have given that bench a second glance. But what a great inexpensive find though and that bench came out beautifully after you worked you magic! Sophia looks like the perfect model too!

Shut the truck door!!! I love Rennigers and go there every other weekend. How come you can find something like that and whenever I look I find nothing. LOL I would have loved to seen you there to see you in action.

EDDIE DOES I AGAIN! Love the transformation. I am heading down to Rennigar's in Feb. to meet up with my best friend, Amy who lives in the area. Thanks to my Eddie shopping tours - I am now armed with unlimited enthusiasim and knowledge for the hunt. I will make you proud dear teacher!

Gorgeous! I love the fabric that you selected, and it looks perfect in the hall (especially with the precious model!). My in-laws use a church pew that they bought at a tag sale that adds a lot of personality to their back hall. Maybe I could convince them to have a cushion made for the bench - I love the stripes on the one you made over. It adds so much personality to the piece (and I bet it's a lot more comfortable to sit on too). Christine

Eddie, I adore that BENCH! I have a 3 seat version I purchased at an occasional sale in Bethany Beach DE. I LOVE that you've used it inside and those sweet little cushions...I don't think I would have thought of that and it's FABULOUS for a mudroom! GREAT inspiration as always!

That is spectacular. I would have looked right past that one. My Grandmother was so good about making something great out of something that looked past it's prime. She was frugal before it became stylish to be so. Thanks for helping us look at things in a different light.

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this bench. I'm a flea market junky and love what you did with this bench. Great idea adding the fabric. Looks amazing and the little girl in the wellies - looks like a print ad. Adorable.